Happy 10th birthday today to my wonderful granddaughter Ana Fernanda Craft.  Sorry I couldn’t be with you today to celebrate, but I will be back in Indianapolis soon.

Susan R. revised our early route this morning, allowing us to hug the coast past Capitola.  It was a beautiful blue sky day, warming up fast, with gentle ocean breezes.

After a big climb in Aptos, we were suddenly in verdant farm land:  strawberries, artichokes, brussels sprouts, and lettuce.  Quite a contrast with the sand dunes nearby.  Even though it was Sunday, there was activity in some of the fields, as they prepared for new strawberries in the spring.

I was riding with Lorna when we arrived in Moss Landing.  Apparently there was a turnoff to view otters and dolphins but it involved crossing 2 lanes of busy traffic.  We opted instead to visit Moss Landing State Park and enjoy the brown pelicans and seals sunning on the beach.  We also commented about the crosswinds that were blowing, instead of the tailwinds we have become accustomed to.

The final 15 miles of the ride were on bike paths:  Monterey Bay Coastal Trail and the Fort Ord State Park Trail.  I was born at Fort Ord, and for some reason I always thought it was near to Sacramento.  My parents left the area when I was 2 weeks/2 months old, so, needless to say, I have no memory but it was fun to “discover” the real location.

Near Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey they were celebrating the birthday of the wharf and there was a swarm of people.  I negotiated around and decided to bypass the hotel and go straight to the Aquarium.  We had visited there 8 or 9 years ago, and I had great memories.  I enjoyed the otter show and the kelp forest show.

No cooking in the parking lot again tonight, but we enjoyed Dickey’s barbecue in a neighboring park.

Garmin:  54.23 miles, 10.11 mph, 2621.4 ft ascent.

Relive:  https://www.relive.cc/view/1232492124